Unconventional: A Two Way Street, Part 3
by W5Lex
Summary: Steve has a question to ask, and Danny's family make a trip to Hawaii. Steve/Danny slash.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Thanks for joining me. Bear in mind, I began to get a little frustrated with writing this installment after a while, and as a result there are more minor time jumps than there have been in the past two installments. As always, I have the whole thing finished in a first draft, so I will mostly be updating daily. **

**Oh, and once again, you probably don't need to have read the others in this series, but it would be better if you had. They're called **_**Intimacy **_**and **_**Judgement **_**and all three are part of the **_**A Two Way Street **_**series. **

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un·con·ven·tion·al

_**adjective**_

not conventional; not bound by or conforming to convention, rule, or precedent; free from conventionality: _an unconventional artist; an unconventional use of material._

_**Synonyms **_

eccentric, individualistic, idiosyncratic, atypical, _**McDanno.**_

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It's two months since Steve and Danny returned from Jersey, and their relationship has made it to four months with no signs of deterioration.

It's a Wednesday night and Steve pauses, paintbrush in hand to watch Danny as he carries in a chair from the landing. It's the last piece of furniture to be brought in, and Danny looks up with a frown as he feels Steve's gaze. Steve gives a sly grin, and all of the creases on Danny's face smooth out as he returns the expression with a glint in his eyes.

Feeling mischievous, Steve lifts the paintbrush slowly, distracting Danny with his lips until the blond jolts away at the touch of the brush on his face. But it's too late, because as Danny lifts a hand to wipe away the paint, his face trying hard to stay angry, Steve breaks into a satisfied grin. Danny wipes his cheek, only to leave a smear bigger than it had started, and Steve lets out a loud laugh.

The detective can't help but smile just a little bit as he storms out of the room. Steve catches it, "Going for a shower?"

"Shut up," is all the response he gets, but he can hear the smile in Danny's voice.

Steve looks around the room, thoroughly content. He and Danny had promised Grace a new room the day they had returned to Hawaii, but a painfully heavy work load over the last two months had prevented anything from being done, and Steve was adamant that receiving a new room all at once is much better than getting it in dribs and drabs. So this week, he and Danny had been making the most of online shopping and scheduled delivery, recruiting Kamekona to help out a little with the painting. And now, the room is pretty much finished, with Danny set to pick up Grace from school on Friday.

Steve presses the lid back onto the paint tin and takes the brush with him as he heads downstairs to clean up.

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By the time Danny is out of the shower, Steve has finished with what he's doing, and he waits patiently on the sofa with a ring box tucked into his pocket. Steve has been thinking about this for a while; in fact, he's had the ring for at least a couple of weeks – but it wasn't until today that he realised he's ready to do it.

Steve himself isn't even that obsessed with the idea of marrying Danny. Because yes; he loves the man and his daughter dearly, and yes; he wants them with him for the rest of his life. But the idea has never really appealed to him. He's not sure he can even really explain why. He probably wouldn't have even _thought _of proposing if not for Danny; the man has been married before, and he's a hopeless romantic, so Steve figures it's what he wants. But anyway, spending this last week with Danny and decorating a room of their house for his daughter has made him realise that now is as good a time as any.

And so Steve subconsciously taps a hand to the pocket of his pants to make sure the box is still there, and he pushes himself up as he hears Danny coming down the stairs. Steve takes a couple of strides over to him and takes a hold of his hand, pointing towards the back door, "Walk with me?" Danny's aversion to the beach has made mysterious improvements, and whilst the sound of the sea bothered him when he first started staying here, the soft crash of the waves at night has turned out to be something of a comfort. And as for spending time _on _the beach; well, if he's with Grace or Steve, he can sit there all day.

Danny gives one nod and doesn't bother with shoes as he lets himself be pulled out of the back door by Steve, walking towards the water until they reach the sand's ridge. They walk along the shore for a good ten minutes before Steve is finally able to muster enough courage to proceed; he's not usually one to get sentimental, but things like this make him a little uncomfortable…even if it _is _Danny. Just to be sure, he taps his pocket again, and as he pulls Danny to a halt, he slips his hand inside the material. "Hey Danno," he says softly.

Danny turns to him with a slightly bemused expression, sensing the rare shake to his partner's voice. "Yeah…?"

Steve clears his throat and looks out to sea uncomfortably. He drops Danny's hand, and pulls his other one out of his pocket, the small velvet box clasped firmly in his fingers. He's thought about how he wants to do this, and he did consider getting down on one knee. But everything about their relationship is so unconventional, that following the cliché seemed…wrong.

So instead, gathering his nerves and looking at Danny, he slowly holds his hands in front of him and pops open the box. Danny stares at him for a moment, and Steve doesn't fail to notice how his immobile hands twitch at his sides. Steve takes a deep breath, swallows, and says, "Will you marry me?" He knows that _technically_…_legally_ it's the wrong word for it, but he figures the premise is the same. Steve brushes his hand to his nose, and he's glad that there is no one else on the darkened beach to witness this. He watches Danny's face closely as a multitude of emotions flicker across it; none of which he can identify.

Danny wipes a hand over his face, pinching the bridge of his nose in disbelief; Steve-fucking-McGarrett, standing in front of him, holding a ring and proposing. Danny shakes his head, looks back up to Steve's eyes with a look that he wills to convey something between love and an apology. "No."

**A/N: So, what does everyone think so far? I **_**promise **_**I will update tomorrow, probably earlier than usual. Don't worry, this will be happy again by next chapter :)  
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	2. Chapter 2

_Danny wipes a hand over his face, pinching the bridge of his nose in disbelief; Steve-fucking-McGarrett, standing in front of him, holding a ring and proposing to him. Danny shakes his head, looks back up to Steve's eyes with a look that he wills to convey something between love and an apology. "No."_

Steve blinks a couple of times because honestly, he hadn't really thought about what would happen if it came to this. It isn't that he assumed Danny was going to say yes, it was just…well actually, yeah. That was exactly it; he _had _thought Danny would say yes. But as Steve looks into the eyes of the detective, he wonders whether maybe that's not all that Danny has to say; _when is it ever?_

Sure enough, Danny looks at his feet before meeting Steve's gaze again and opening his mouth to speak. "I love you," Steve closes the box and drops his hand to his side, biting his lip as he looks to the floor. Danny takes a step closer and lifts a hand. He curls one finger and uses it to give Steve's chin a nudge, forcing him to look straight into his eyes. "Steve, I love you, and I want you for the rest of my life." _So what's the problem then? _Steve looks up, at least a little encouraged by the fact that he hasn't been misreading the signs for the past four months. He waits for Danny to continue, heart beating fast for fear that this is all about to end.

"But I've done that. I've been married; I've done things the traditional way, and I ended up hating it; hating what it turned out to be. What _we _have is different to what I had with Rachel, and I want to keep it that way. So, sure, maybe things will change in the future, maybe we'll decide that it's what we want, but right now, I like where we are. And for the record, if I thought you were asking because it's what _you _want, then I would say yes. But you're not; you're asking because you think it's what _I _want."

Steve thinks about that for a second, a tiny smile creeping onto his face as Danny squeezes his hand and smirks. He knows that he should maybe feel a little humiliated in this moment, but Danny's face doesn't betray anything that provokes the emotion, and so he can't help but actually feel okay about this; especially because Danny is right, he asked because he thought it would be what he wanted. "I love you," he repeats.

Steve nods, "I love you too." Danny leans forward to kiss him, and it doesn't take long for the ex-SEAL to realise that clearly, there is nothing wrong with this relationship. As he pulls away, Danny looks down and takes the ring box from Steve's hand, lifting it up so that he can see it more clearly.

He runs a hand over the soft black velvet before opening the box with a pop and peering in. He holds it up to the light. "It's nice."

Steve shrugs. "You may as well have it anyway. We don't have to be married to have a ring."

Steve grins, the character returning to his face as he pulls the ring out of its slot. He holds it up to the sky, giving them both a second to look at it in the little light provided by the moon. The band is platinum with a two-toned matte finish, though the inside is shiny, more of the light reflecting from within. It's flat in shape, with two grooves running full circle. Steve lifts Danny's left hand, sliding the ring into place on the ring finger with a smile. "Suits you," Steve says with a laugh. Danny likes the noise; it's the indication that he's been waiting for, the signal that assures him Steve is okay with all of this.

And as Danny clenches his hand to check the fit, he makes a mental note to return the favour. "Hey, you know maybe with a wedding ring I'll finally get a rest from all those gorgeous women that hit on me."

Steve smiles, raises his eyebrows. "Yeah, you wish."

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By the time they get back to the house it's nine o'clock, and as they walk through the door, Danny's phone rings. He slips it out of his pocket and frowns when he sees the caller ID. "Jay? Why the hell are you awake? It must be like…" he counts the hours forwards, "…two AM in Jersey."

Danny can practically see the patronising nod that he knows she's doing. "Yeah, yeah, couldn't sleep. That's not why I rang, Danny. I wanted to ask you whether you were serious about me coming to see you guys in Hawaii? Because I have a free week this month whilst I'm inbetween jobs."

Danny smiles and looks towards the couch where Steve has just made himself comfortable. "Gimme one second." He holds the cell phone to his shoulder as he settles next to him on the couch, rolling his eyes as Steve readjusts himself with his feet in Danny's lap. "Hey, babe. Alright if Jay comes down here sometime in the next month?"

Steve smiles at mention of Danny's cousin. "Jay? Yeah, sure. Just tell her to give us some dates ASAP so that we can wrap up any cases and warn the governor, that way we can take a couple of days off whilst she's here." Steve's smiles grows as Danny returns the phone to his ear and he pulls Danny's free hand towards him, running his fingers over and twisting the ring on his finger; there's something satisfying about it being there; an external symbol of their relationship.

"Yeah, it's fine, we'd love to see you. Text us the dates ASAP though so that we can try and arrange a break for Five-0." There's a long pause. "Hey Jay, was there something else?"

There's that imagined nod again. "Yeah actually. Umm…I know things were a bit awkward with your Mom last time," Danny knows she's referring to his mother's initial outrage at Danny's new relationship, though she had softened once meeting him. "But I thought maybe I could ask if they wanted to come over at the same time? Y'know, to see Grace and things."

Danny laughs at his cousin's nerves. If all else fails, he figures Hawaii is a big island; they can hide for a few days with their home field advantage. "Yeah sure. Actually it's probably quite a good time for them to come. We still haven't gotten around to moving my stuff to this place," despite moving in with Steve two months ago, "and it took us a while to sort out the lease. So basically I'm tied to the contract for another month; if you guys come over then they can take the apartment and you can stay with us." Danny has a thought and he turns to Steve, still idly fiddling with the ring. "Hey babe, my parents might come too, you should invite Mary." Steve nods, smiling at the prospect of seeing his sister, smiling at the way their seemingly disastrous evening has turned out to be one he won't forget any time soon.

**A/N: So, I hope people were satisfied with how that turned out. For anyone who cares, if you go to my profile, there is a link to a picture of the ring I envisioned for Danny.**


	3. Chapter 3

It's Friday afternoon, and just as he always does when he and Steve have Grace, Danny leaves work early to go pick up his daughter from school. If there's one way that their work has been influenced by their relationship, then this is it; every weekend that Grace is with Steve and Danny is now a weekend that is taken to relax. Barring any major incidents, every other weekend is now actually used as it should be.

Danny pulls up outside the school, and he sets eyes on Grace before he's even had the chance to get out of the car. Grace smiles in his direction, and as Danny pushes up, she runs into his arms. "Hey Monkey," he smiles into her shoulder as they embrace.

Finally, he sets her back down on the pavement, taking her backpack and throwing it inside the car. "Can we go get ice cream Danno?" Danny looks down, and as usual, gives in to his daughter's demands; both he and Steve are suckers for Grace's requests.

"Sure baby, you gonna tell me what happened at school this week?"

Grace nods and grabs hold of his hand as they walk towards the parade of shops just around the corner. Danny listens to Grace's descriptions attentively as they make their way down the road, but it's not until she squeezes his hand that she demands his _full _attention. "Danno?"

"Yes Monkey."

"Are you and Steve getting married?" Whether by coincidence or fate, the moment Grace notices the ring on her father's finger comes just as they are walking past a jewellery shop, and Grace pulls him to a stop as she waits for an explanation.

Danny crouches down to level with her, pulling her out of the way of oncoming pedestrians. "You mean because of the ring?" Grace nods. "No Gracie, Steve and I aren't getting married. He just gave me a ring."

Grace looks mildly confused. "You mean to show you how much he loves you?"

Danny nods. "Yeah that's right. That alright with you?"

Grace nods again. "You should get him one."

Danny nods, and as he moves to straighten up, something in the window behind Grace catches his eye. "Yeah, I was going to wait so that you could help me choose." Without another word, Danny pulls his daughter by the hand, leading her into the jewellery shop.

"Hey, can I see that ring from the window please? The flat one with the black groove?" The shop assistant behind the till nods and pulls the container off of the display, pushing the box towards Danny.

The blond picks it up for close inspection and lifts Grace up to sit on the glass cabinet. He ignores the slight look of disapproval as he hands the box to Grace to look at. The ring is simple, and a little similar to the one he wears. It has two tones, one darker, one lighter, and a matte finish on the outside with a sleek sparkle coming from the inside. This one has just one single groove around the edge. The shop assistant clears her throat and reaches for another box. "That one you have there is the platinum with titanium, we also have this which is the same design only without the titanium." Danny nods, takes it from her, and immediately decides that the one Grace holds would suit Steve better.

Regardless, he hands the second box to Grace. "Which one do you prefer Gracie?"

Grace seems to mull it over for a few minutes, holding each ring up to the light and inspecting carefully before handing the first ring back to Danny. "That one."

Danny nods. "Just what I was thinking. If nothing else, he could do with the extra strength of the titanium." They examine pretty much the rest of the shop for the next hour, before finally returning to the very first ring. Danny idly realises he has no idea how much the thing even costs as they wait at the counter for the woman to package the piece.

And when the price comes through as pretty damn costly, Danny's not surprised; he also doesn't mind. Because hell, the man is worth it.

He briefly thanks the woman for her help, and takes the bag as he and Grace leave the store. "Ice cream time," he says as they turn right down the street.

**A/N: Sorry for such a short chapter. The next one is longer, and when I post it tomorrow I will also post another link to a picture, this one of Steve's ring. **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: There is now a link to a picture of Steve's ring on my profile – it's pretty similar to Danny's.**

When they finally get home around five o'clock, Danny doesn't hesitate in putting a DVD on for Grace because he knows that despite denying it, Steve will want to be there when she goes up to see her new room for the first time. She seems to have forgotten that she even asked, and she sits down silently without suspicion. Danny hands her dinner in front of the TV to keep her in position, and he's sat next to her when Steve gets home two hours later.

"Steve!" Grace yells as she jumps up and runs towards him. Steve beams and opens his arms to the girl as she throws herself into him.

"Hey Gracie, have you seen your room yet?"

He puts her down and Danny shakes his head behind her. With that, Grace seemingly remembers _exactly _what she asked for all that time ago, and she runs towards the stairs with Danny and Steve both hot on her heels.

They all arrive one after the other, and Grace gasps as she takes a cursory glance at every area. The back wall of the bedroom is a pastel purple colour, and the other three are a slightly-off-white. In the corner of the medium-sized room lies a double bed, the blankets a shade of purple to match the wall, with simple flowers printed on them. The original wooden floor remains, though Steve has sanded it and re-stained it himself, along with the beams on the ceiling. In the other corner of the room there is a small desk with an office chair that Steve just knows she'll love, and a massive beanbag lies along the remaining wall, a dark shade of grey.

Grace turns to face them both with a giant smile, and she does her best to pull them all into a group hug. The men laugh and Danny looks down to his daughter. "So you like it then?"

Though seemingly impossible, Grace's smile grows. "I _love _it."

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"Hey, babe," Danny says as he mutes whatever mindless sitcom it is that they're 'watching.' Grace went to sleep about an hour ago, and they've just finished dinner.

"Hey, I was watching that!" Steve complains. He unfolds his arms and turns to look at Danny, his face losing all annoyance when he sees the serious half-smile that he wears.

"I got you something."

Steve's eyebrows perk up, and he straightens up on the couch expectantly. When he realises what it is that Danny is pulling from his breast pocket, the smile grows. Danny holds the ring up for Steve to look at, watching as he moves his head around the band to get a better look. "Matte; good choice. Not sure it would last long with me otherwise."

Danny nods knowingly. "Platinum with reinforced titanium. Y'know, in case next time you get blown up it's _really _bad." Steve laughs, though it's rather too close to the realm of possibility for Danny's liking.

Danny takes Steve's left hand in his own, and without hesitation he slides the ring onto the correct finger. The ex-SEAL smiles and looks up at him more than satisfied with how this thing has panned out; it's these kind of moments, the moments where they both know _exactly _what the other is thinking, that help them to maintain the clarity that they have held in the relationship so far. He lifts his hand and spreads his fingers. "There! Practically married."

Danny laughs and grabs him by the scruff of his shirt, pulling him in for a kiss.

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It takes Steve less than twenty four hours to find another way to represent Danny, and this one is – technically – a little more permanent. "What the fuck is that?" Danny asks, his tone accusatory. Grace is in bed, but Danny is honestly struggling to comprehend how the hell Steve can have wound up with an injury in _one _day – a day off, no less – without him noticing.

Steve pulls away from the kiss, his face innocent as he gives Danny a small smirk. Danny lifts a hand to pull Steve's away from where it lies on his cheek, and he holds it up to get a better look. "Where's the ring?" he asks, noticing that the white bandage that has caught his eye is where the band should be. Steve holds up his right hand, spreading his fingers and assuring Danny he hasn't lost – or more likely, broken – it just yet, but then how can he if he plans never to take it off.

Danny's forehead creases as his expression demands some kind of explanation. Steve shrugs, his smile growing. "When you and Grace were out on the beach earlier, I slipped out for a bit." Danny lowers his hands now, placing them on his hips as his jaw juts out and he waits. "Hey, you know what, its easier if I just show you."

Carefully and slowly, Steve pulls his hand close to his chest and unwraps the bandage and film, causing as little disruption to the new ink as possible. Danny's eyes zone in on the 'injury,' and his face slowly rearranges into a disbelieving grin as he realises what he's done. "You got a new tat? Here, gimme your hand." The last of the bandage peeling away, Steve puts his hand on Danny's and allows him to pull it closer to his face.

Danny's smile only grows as he takes a closer look. The new tattoo is simple. Right where Steve's ring should be – and right where it _will _be once the wound has healed – is one small word. The letters are written in an elegant script, and the black ink curves a little bit around each side of the ring finger, making room for the name of the man that, quite simply, changed his life; _Danno._


	5. Chapter 5

It's exactly two weeks later that Steve, Danny and Grace find themselves at Honolulu International, waiting for relatives. Mary, Steve's sister had arrived earlier that day, and using the key that Steve had given her last time she had been on the island, she had let herself in on arrival. Having come straight from work – stopping only to collect Grace from school a little early claiming some kind of emergency – Steve and Danny have already warned they'll be taking the following Monday off to allow the whole family to spend a few days together. It's times like these that Danny is grateful that his ex seems to have a soft spot for Steve, because he somehow seems to have swung Grace's stay without any problems; the last time Danny had tried that, she'd threatened to call her attorney with the aim of changing Danny's visitation rights.

Steve holds Grace to his hip providing rest for Danny's bad knee, and Grace is smiling and absent-mindedly resting one arm on Danny's shoulder when – at three o'clock – Steve and Danny both catch sight of Jay, Zoe, and Richard Williams. Steve can feel the nerves as they rise in his chest – worry that Danny's family will have changed their mind since their last encounter – but having the home field advantage provides some comfort.

He gives Grace a quick squeeze, and she makes no effort to be put down, so Steve holds on to her as the three of them walk towards the Williams'. Danny immediately pulls his father into a hug; since Danny had revealed the identity of his new lover, their relationship seemed to have only grown stronger, with regular phone calls between the men.

Steve, one limb tied up with Grace, pulls Jay into a one-armed hug, kissing her on the cheek as he pulls away. The exchanges continue until everyone – including Grace who is a little shy at having not seen her extended family for almost a couple of years – has greeted each other, and despite both Steve and Danny having been worried, the blonde's mother seems happy enough with seeing them together.

Steve and Danny take a bag each, and Rick takes the third as Steve finally has to put Grace down so that she can walk to the car with her hand enclosed in her father's. Danny jerks a thumb behind him to the Camaro. "I'll drop my parents off at the apartment," his thumb moves in the direction of the Silverado, "You take Grace and Jay back to the house. Mary should be awake by now."

Steve nods, and they squeeze two of the cases into the Camaro, the third chucked into the back of Steve's truck.

Danny and his parents ease into his car, his father in the back as he waits for Steve to back out before following. "So," Danny says, "If it's alright then Steve and I were thinking you could take my old apartment whilst you're here. Steve's sister is also in town, and so we don't have room for everyone at our place." Danny hasn't tried t hide the fact that he and Steve are now living together, and he's a little surprised to see that even his mother doesn't seem alarmed by it. "The place is a bit…" he searches for the right word to describe the hole, "minimal, but we'll probably be out most of the day anyway."

Danny and his parents continue to make unimportant small talk for the short journey, and the detective hauls their suitcases into the building after they've pulled up. He quickly shows them around the small – minute – apartment, and gives them some instructions. He looks down to his watch, "It's three thirty now, Steve drew a map for you to show how to get from here to his place. It'll only take five or ten minutes, so if you guys come around at about five, we'll hang out there for a bit and then go out to dinner."

Danny leans forward to give his old man a peck on the cheek, does the same for his mother, and then heads back to the Camaro; he's grateful for the relatively recent change in his lifestyle.

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Steve holds onto Grace's hand with one of his, using the other to steady her as he helps her into the high body of the car. "Buckle up," he adds as he takes his place in front of her, joining Jay who is already in the passenger seat. "How was the flight?"

Jay nods, "Yeah it was okay, y'know…"

Steve nods and pulls out of the parking lot, his big truck automatically claiming the right to leave first. "Jay! Danno and Step-Steve said you can come and stay with us and Mary." Grace is practically bouncing up and down in her seat at the excitement of it all; it's not often that any women other than Kono make a trip to the McGarrett-Williams home.

Jay looks back to her with a wide smile, then back to Steve. He cocks his head to the side as he glances over at her. "Mary is my sister. Seeing as you and Danny's parents were coming down, we invited her for a few days as well. She got in earlier today, but we've been out at work since early morning. You excited to see her again Gracie?"

Grace nods as Steve checks the mirror for her response. Having seen Mary less than a year ago, the seven year old has a stronger recollection of Steve's sister. Steve just gives a chuckle and weaves through the traffic on their way back to the house.

Pulling up outside, he takes Jay's case from the back of the truck and takes Grace's hand as they walk towards the door. Grace is similar to her father; tactile and vibrant, quick to invade personal space, and always eager to be close to one of the men. It's the first time Jay has seen her cousin's boyfriend – though somehow he seems so much more than that – with the young girl, and she realises that Danny wasn't kidding when he said that they got on well.

"Mary? You decent?" Steve calls out as he dumps the case by the door. Grace waits patiently by his side for Mary's reply, and Steve closes the door behind Jay.

His sister trails down the stairs just a couple of seconds later, and she smiles as Grace looks up to her. "Hey Gracie," she says, her tone with its usual husky quality as Grace rushes forwards to give her a hug. "How's my favourite little niece?" Grace may not biologically be Steve's, but he loves her just the same as if he was. Mary has known about Steve and Danny for a while; Steve has made the effort to stay in regular contact, and he hadn't even bothered to try and hide it from her.

Steve puts a hand on Jay's back, pulling her forward as he steps further into the room. "Mary, this is Jay; Danny's cousin. And Jay, meet Mary." The both nod, and there's a slightly awkward handshake, with Grace still hugging at Mary's leg.

Steve claps his hands together. "Okay, so sleeping arrangements are as follows. Danny and I will stay as we are; Mary, as you know, you're in the spare room because I know Grace hates your snoring," Mary scowls, Grace smiles in thanks, "and Jay, if you don't mind, we setup an air mattress in Grace's room yesterday, hers is bigger than the spare."

All three of them nod, and Grace pulls both Mary and Jay up the stairs to show them her new room. They're still up there ten minutes later, when Danny gets back. Steve emerges from the kitchen with a smile as he walks through the door.

"Hey babe," Danny says as he runs a hand through his hair. Steve's more substantial presence in Danny's life has changed the detective in one respect; the man no longer wears a tie. Despite still being in his work clothes, Danny wears beige chinos with a light grey shirt, the collar left open. He kicks off his shoes as he walks towards Steve.

"You get your Mom and Dad settled in alright?"

Danny nods as he approaches, "They'll be 'round at five." Steve smiles as he wraps his arms around Danny's waist, smirking as the detective presses his lips to his. On hearing the others plodding down the stairs, Steve pulls away enough that he's able to keep one arm wrapped around Danny.

"Hey Monkey," Danny offers, "Why don't you show the girls that new DVD you bought this weekend."

Grace nods, a slight frown colouring her face. "Won't you and Steve watch with us?" She looks mildly upset.

Danny turns to Steve, and he nods. "Yeah, of course we will. We're just gonna shower and change," – he realises that with the use of the plural pronoun, that sounds inappropriate, but if anyone notices, they keep quiet – "then we'll be right back down, okay?"

The last week of work at Five-0 hasn't been one of their worst, but that doesn't mean to say that Steve and Danny are currently unscathed. Steve has a small gash just above his eye – if you ask Danny, the damn thing seems to heal every week or so only for Steve to reopen it hours later – and his arms are currently home to a few scrapes, but then considering who you're talking about, that's not so bad. As for Danny, his knee has been good for the last couple of months, though a heavy couple of days have left him with a slight twinge. They each take a turn in the shower, and they come down together fifteen minutes later – both clean-shaven with damp hair – to join the others. The movie is just about finished when the door goes.

Danny gets up first, lifting his hands in the air and pointing to the back door. "Okay, everybody out to the beach." Danny opens the door to the empty house a minute later, smiling as he gestures for his parents to come right in. "Everyone's on the beach out back."

"This is a nice place," Danny's mother – Zoe Williams – remarks. She _almost _sounds surprised.

Danny nods and leads them straight through. "Yeah, Steve grew up here, his Dad left it to him and Mary when he died but Steve bought her out."

They all continue out into the bright sunshine, to find Steve warning Grace away from the water. "We're going to dinner in an hour, so unless you want to sit wet all night Gracie, no water above your knees."

Grace nods and runs back towards Jay and Mary – now talking with some familiarity – with Steve in tow. Grace allows herself to be picked up by her grandfather, the first _proper _greeting since they arrived earlier that day. "Hey Granddad!" Richard Williams hugs her to his waist, before asking Grace to give him and her grandmother a tour of the house.

Danny strolls over to sit down on the sand next to the two girls. "Hey guys. Mary, it's been a while, how are you?"

Mary turns to him with a smile. "Oh, y'know fine. Heard you guys had shacked up. I'd been wondering' how long it would take ya." Danny blushes, the full force of Mary's straight-talking hitting him right in the face. Danny just smiles. "And for the record, I'm glad you did."

Danny nods his head, "Umm, thanks…I think." Mary smiles, confirmation that she did indeed mean it in a good way. Danny hits his cousin in the shoulder, "Hey, how's Mom about this?"

Jay rubs her shoulder dramatically, her face smoothing into a serene expression. "Good actually. I think she may have just about gotten over it." Though she hasn't been informed of the problem, it doesn't take more than a hop for Mary to deduce what the problem had been. "How's it going between you two?"

Danny grins and nods. "Yeah, it's, umm…it's going great." Jay smiles, happy for the pair of them. Steve walks back up from further down the beach just a couple of minutes later, and Mary smiles at the first real interaction she's seen between them as a couple.

She marvels at the way they move around each other, as though automatically responding to every shift or expression of the other. Steve scoots closer to Danny, their outstretched legs touching as the taller man stretches both arms out behind him, one resting behind Danny's back.

**A/N: Thank you for all the reviews so far. It's great hearing from you :)**


	6. Chapter 6

In the natural formation that seems to have emerged as all seven of the Williams & McGarrett members walk from the house, Danny and Steve walk upfront, close enough that they brush together with every movement, each touching a hand to the other every now and again; Danny's parents are just a couple of steps behind, hand in hand and currently with Grace by their side; and Jay and Mary back up the group, laughing as they share stories of Danny and Steve.

Danny and Steve veer left, back towards the beach, and slow down as they approach a shore-side restaurant. Danny gives his name for the reservation, and a server leads them to a large circular table, seven seats surrounding it. "Okay," Danny says as he opens the menu, "Dinner is on us, so don't hold back." Danny's parents put up mild protest to the offer; Jay and Mary on the other hand, they keep quiet.

Grace loops her arm through Danny's and looks up to meet his gaze with a smile. "You know what you want Monkey?"

Grace nods, "Same as always." The three of them have been here before, switching between this more expensive place, Aloiki's – the pizza place- and a variety of Kamekona's different enterprises.

Their server comes back a few minutes later, and the orders are placed without too much hesitation. Their food has just arrived, and Danny is grateful for the distraction it provides when he notices the look of recognition on Mary's face. He follows her gaze and leans back in his chair with a smile, preparing for what's about to come.

"Hey bro!" Steve looks up, does the same as Danny. "_Please_ tell me you two idiots did _not _get married and forget to tell me." Steve holds his palms open, and Mary looks around as she realises that she isn't the only one for whom the bands on Steve and Danny's ring fingers come as a surprise. Steve and Danny make eye contact, and Steve gestures for the blond to take this one as he shoves another ravioli into his mouth.

Danny looks to his parents briefly and thankfully, they're not looking _too _alarmed. "Mary! We did _not _get married." He looks down to notice Grace watching with amusement, and she reaches across to hold his hand. "And we don't plan to." Four faces stare back at him, wondering if they've missed something.

Steve swallows his mouthful and rests a hand on Danny's forearm. "Look, Mar. I gave Danny a ring, we decided not to get married, he gave me a ring." Steve goes back to eating his dinner, as if it really is as simple as that. Danny shoots him an amused smirk.

Jay decides to have a go at understanding this. "So, you're not married, but you're _as _married as you're gonna get." Danny shrugs, nods, it sounds about right.

"And the tat?" Mary asks, her eyes focusing on the small part of tattoo that sneaks out from under her brother's ring. Steve glances down at it, fondly rubbing his thumb to the ring and pushing it up just a little so that he can see the word more clearly.

"Just something I got done a short while back."

Danny glances over to his parents, worrying about the lack of sound coming from their seats. "You okay with this?" Danny asks, not that it will really make any difference if they're not.

Rick nods instantly; he's been okay with this from the start. Just one look to his son tells him all he needs to know. Zoe takes a sip of wine, "Yeah Danny. If you're happy, I'm happy." Danny's eyes soften, and he doesn't break eye contact until Grace tugs the bottom of his t-shirt.

"Danno, I can't cut the steak," she whines, and Danny's attention is diverted.

**H**

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Danny is already in bed by the time Steve joins him in their room. Lying face up with tired eyes and an exhausted body, he turns his head ever so slightly in Steve's direction. Quickly, the taller man strips down to his boxer-briefs, and lets out a loud sigh as he slides in next to him. "That seemed to go well," he says after a few seconds of silence.

Danny shuffles a little closer, and Steve wraps a long arm around his partner's waist, pressing warm skin against warm skin and inhaling his familiar scent. "Yeah," Danny says, "Yeah, it did."

He turns his face ever so slightly, placing his left hand at the side of Steve's face and tracing the line of his jaw with is thumb. Steve smiles at Danny's touch, leaning into it before lifting the arm from around his waist and holding it to the back of Danny's neck. "Come here," he says, but the statement is rendered void as he pulls towards him, capturing his lips in the softest of kisses.

Danny lets out a loud sigh and comes up for air before re-engaging, finally pulling apart and resting his head on Steve's shoulder. The ex-SEAL lifts his arm closest to Danny, and instinctively Danny raises his head, allowing the arm to slip underneath him. Then, nestling in and getting comfortable, Danny lowers his head back to his lover's shoulders, and Steve wraps a protective arm around his back. Danny snakes his own arm around Steve's torso, and the taller man's free hand comes to rest on his forearm, rubbing small circles into the skin with his fingers. And then, one last "Night babe," from Danny, and they both drift off to sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Apologies for the absence yesterday. Here is the next chapter. Sorry it's so short, I'll be uploading one very long one later today to make up for it. I did **_**try **_**to upload this last night, but I couldn't login, so my sincerest apologies. x**

Steve's military habits wake him up relatively early; half past seven. Actually, Danny's tendencies to lie in are slowly taking effect, and he doesn't wake this early nearly as much as he used to. Most of the time he's content to lie there – Danny curled into his shoulder – until the sleeping blond wakes up, but today Danny doesn't give him the chance. He begins to stir as soon as Steve has his eyes open, and the ex-SEAL wastes no time in getting up and heading for the shower. With so many people in the house, he figures he should take his turn as soon as possible. As he wanders down the stairs, he hears the water start up again, and it's ten minutes later that a damp Danny follows him down.

"Sorry," Steve says, and Danny knows that he's apologising for waking him; he always does, no matter how rare the occurrence.

Danny waves the offering away, "You can make breakfast to make up for it."

Steve smiles, and Danny is one hundred per cent positive that something mildly inappropriate is going to leave his partner's mouth before he even begins to speak. The taller man braces his hands against the counter as he takes the step towards him, leaning in with a menacing smile, "I can think of other ways." He leans down to Danny, his lips connecting with the bare skin of Danny's neck, then his jaw, his temple, and finally, his mouth. Danny grins underneath him, and just as Steve's tongue begins to trace contours of his lips, they both hear the door to Grace's bedroom creak open.

Steve lets out a low laugh and figures they only have a few more seconds before someone appears on the stairs. Danny pulls away, leaning his head against Steve's – whose body is still firmly pressed to Danny's – until the first figure appears at the bottom of the stairs. Jay turns her head in the direction of the kitchen just as Steve rolls his body around to lean against the counter next to Danny, and she shoots a knowing smile in the direction of her cousin. "Mornin' Gracie," Steve says as Grace appears a moment later. She takes her place at the table.

"Steve." She says nothing else, only a smile accompanying her greeting.

"Get cooking," Danny teases as he joins her at the table.

It's not until eight o'clock, all five of them now sat at the table, when Steve slides his cell phone out of his pocket, addressing something he and Danny had discussed with Grace last night. He hits the third speed dial – preceded by Danny and Grace – and holds the device to his ear. "Chin?"

"_Hey boss, what's up?"_

"Uhh, hey. Nothing, it's just me and Danny were wondering whether you and Kono wanna join us and the family today. We're not doing much, just hanging by the beach, probably hitting the market. Grace would love to see you." He glances at the girl, her face exuberant with agreement.

_Chin pauses for only a couple of seconds. "Yeah, sounds like fun. When and where?"_

"Umm, how about we meet you guys by Waiola, say…eleven. We'll pick up some lunch on the market and then barbeque on the beach later."

Chin, never one to waste time with unnecessary words, closes the conversation. "Great. We'll see you there brah." Steve touches the icon to end the call and nods to Danny.

"I'll call my parents in a minute." He claps his hands together then points at the three girls. "You heard him, we'll walk down at quarter to eleven, hit the market for an hour then grab some lunch and come back here for some time on the beach."

"Danno, will you come swimming?" Graces voice is pleading as she lifts her chin and sees Steve shoot her a wink and a slight nod.

Danny, despite the initial predisposition _against _the water, has been living with an eight-year old girl and Aquaman for the past few months. He's pretty much got over the hatred, and he usually joins the pair. "Sure, why not."


	8. Chapter 8

When the four of them make it to Waiola, Kamekona is nowhere to be seen, with just a more-than-likely-underpaid-kid tending to the small hut. They approach to find Danny's parents sat at a bench, eyes squinted in protest of the sun and eagerly walking over to the shady spot where the others stand. Chin has called back and said that they won't be able to make it until later, so they're absent from the group.

Once the niceties are over, Danny takes Grace's hand and addresses the group, only one hand able to move in his vicinity. "Alright. Gracie, you stay with me or Steve, other than that, split up as you please, and meet us at that sandwich stand," he jerks a thumb in the right direction, "in an hour." There's a brief discussion over what they'll do after before the seven of them split into two groups; Jay heading in one direction with her aunt and uncle, and Steve leading the others in the direction of Grace's favourite stand.

Danny lets go of his daughter as she walks forwards to cast her eyes over the array of artwork all hand-drawn by a man nearing sixty. Though a local, the artist travels around in search of landscapes and features on which to base his art, so he isn't always here. Grace stops by every time she sees him, and so the man gives her a crinkled smile and an, _Aloha _as her eyes search the mass of paper.

It doesn't take long for her eyes to zone in on a piece that she hasn't seen before, and she points to it as her head turns to look at Steve. "Steve! Look!"

Uncrossing his arms and leaning over her head, Steve laughs and glances at Mary. "It's the SEAL thing," he explains, eyeing the well-sketched image of a seal atop a piece of ice, floating freely and looking as happy as an animal can.

Danny steps over to see what it is that has caught their attention, and he rolls his eyes as a smirk edges its way onto his face. "You want it Grace?" She nods enthusiastically.

Steve pulls his wallet out of his back pocket; they really have started to live like a couple these past few months. Yes; they are a completely unconventional couple. In theory, they should hate each other, they should hate working together, they should hate living together, they should hate any time spent together. Danny should want to get out of Steve's life as soon as possible, and Steve should be helpfully pushing him out the door.

But despite all that, some conventions have remained; like shared money. They've already talked about it before, though they probably would never have even discussed the problem had it not been for Grace. With no one else to worry about but she, Danny, and Mary, Steve wanted to tie their financials together as much as possible, and to ensure that some kind of college fund could begin to accumulate for Grace. And so, with the union of several of their accounts, the arguments about payment (though continuing with the unconventional streak, the arguments were usually in favour of the _other _paying, rather than the insistence of paying themselves) had ceased. So, with a brief look to Danny, Steve pulls out a few bills and hands them over with a thanks. The man rolls the picture and eases it into a tube before handing it to Grace.

"Thank you," she says.

As the four of them wander around the stands, Mary watches her brother and Danny with ever-so-slightly-amazed eyes. Honestly, she's never seen her brother so at ease with anyone else in her life. Even as a child, Mary was the only one to ever see the slightly softer side to Steve, the off-duty side. The side that didn't go around life all guns blazing, not a care in the world as he fires off bullets in all directions and plans his next move. And then Danny and Grace came along. Mary can see that this stuff is all still there, and it still makes its presence known by the sound of Danny's rants, but until now, Steve has never really suppressed that side of his personality. And yes, a certain aspect of that had been there the last time she had visited them. Mary had met Danny and Grace then, but this time things are different still. Steve's movements are softer and more careful with Grace, and he and Danny move around each other with ease and comfort, each reacting to the other's movements. It's nice to watch, and enough to evoke a soft feeling of jealousy.

After twenty minutes of talking whilst Danny and Steve walk a few paces ahead of them, Grace slips her hand into Mary's, and though she's never been great with kids, she can see why Steve has grown so attached to the girl. "Mar," she says, using the nickname Steve uses.

"Yeah?" she responds, looking down to Grace's upturned face.

Grace rubs a finger against the side of her nose before continuing. "Do you mind about Steve and Danny?" Mary looks at her for a second, wondering what she means. "He used to be worried, that you wouldn't like us, I think."

"He said that?" Mary asks in disbelief.

Grace shrugs, "No."

Mary relaxes and squeezes her hand with a smile. "No, Grace. I love Steve. I always will; I love all of you. And I'm glad you're all happy." Grace smiles, content with the answer.

**A/N: Hey, anyone still reading? x**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: I warned that this fic would be shorter and slightly more rushed than the last two parts, and alas, we are coming to the end. I'm uploading two chapters today, and then the final short two tomorrow. The GOOD news is that I'll be starting to upload a new fic probably the day after this one finishes. :)**

Grace leaves her new purchase on the dresser in her room before running back out to the beach to join the others. The sun is bright and it beats down on their skin with heat.

Steve throws the empty sandwich wrappers into a pile and he and Danny make their way to a spot a fair way away from the sea as Grace walks towards them with a smile. "You ready?" Danny asks, and the other four look to the three of them.

Grace holds up a finger, and slides out of her t-shirt to give her an advantage. She nods, now left in a pair of girls' short swim shorts and the most extensive bikini top Danny could find. "Ready."

Steve holds up a hand, and says the numbers as he counts down with his fingers, "Three…Two…One…Go."

The rest of the family watch, bewildered by the unfamiliar practice as the two men scramble to take their tops off. Grace starts in the direction of the sea, using her advantage and getting a head start. Danny follows in pursuit just an instant later after throwing his tee to the floor and Steve – his arms needing to move further because of his height – drops his black tank top to the pile and runs after Danny. Danny just about makes it level with Grace and Steve's long legs make up ground in time for them all to splash into the water at the same time.

Danny's parents, Jay and Mary all shake their heads at the immaturity of the two men and Jay laughs, "No wonder they get on so well, they're _all _kids."

Grace walks until she's just about out of her depth, then swims over to her father, clamping her legs around his waist and turning to watch Steve as he continues his water acrobatics. It's not until a minute later that he emerges – barely out of breath – and kicks his way over to the two of them. Grace reaches out a hand and Steve leans forward so that she can rub a hand through his hair, messing it up playfully.

Ten minutes later and all of them are in the water, two airflow balls being thrown around the shallow water in a game of catch. Steve and Danny's intimate touches don't escape the notice of the detective's parents; the lingering glances, the comfortable brushes past each other, the slight smile on Danny's lips as Steve holds an arm around him for the moment, and the smile on Steve's when Danny does similar. And though Zoe Williams had initially been furious – maybe even ashamed – at Danny's new relationship, watching Danny with Steve, and Steve with Grace, it's impossible for her to frown upon their romance. Because eve when her son was married to Rachel, she's never seen him so happy and at ease, and she's pretty damn sure it's because of him. She diverts her gaze back towards her niece and chucks the ball in her direction.

**H**

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"Uncle Chin!" Grace yells as he emerges from the side of the beach house, followed a few seconds later by Kono. Chin kneels down and gives her a hug, turning his cheek in Grace's direction so that she can kiss him. Grace reaches up to Kono to do the same.

"Hey Grace, you want to introduce us to everyone?"

Grace nods, taking a hand from both of them and dragging them towards the group. It's now four o'clock, and with the exception of Steve – typical, the man seems to _always _be half-naked – everyone is fully clothed.

"Everyone," she says, getting the attention of her grandparents and Jay – though she's addressing everyone – "This is Chin and Kono. They work with Steve and Danno." Grace points to each of the three that have yet to meet each other. "That's Grandma Zoe and Granddad Rick, and that's cousin Jay" – not strictly _Grace's _cousin, but whatever.

Steve and Danny both reach up a hand to greet their colleagues, and move out to extend the circle for them to join. With two objective additions to the group, it's not until now that the others get a true insight into Danny and Steve's behaviour and performance at work; for all they know, the whole task force could be a bag of shit.

"And their…relationship, it doesn't bother you? When you're working I mean?" Zoe's tone is incredulous, but not malicious.

Chin shrugs, "It's not al that different from us…or from before they got together."

Kono jumps in. "They'll never admit it, but they became best friends the day they met, and them being _together _doesn't interfere with work any more than their friendship did. They may be a little affectionate sometimes, but at the end of the day, we would all die for each other. And in terms of _performance_, we're all rude enough that if it came to it, we would say something or report it."

Steve and Grace return from further down the beach – their sandcastle still standing – to be met by the gaze of six people. The only one not staring at them – Danny – is looking down in embarrassment at being the topic of conversation. "What?" Steve asks as he sits on the sand, Grace wedging herself inbetween he and Danny. When no one answers, he punches Danny on the shoulder.

His head snaps up. "Do you _mind_?"

Kono and Chin both laugh. "See? No difference at all."


	10. Chapter 10

Grace is the first to wake the following morning, and she sneaks past Jay, out of the room and a couple of doors down to where Steve and Danny sleep. The creak of their bedroom door wakes Steve, and he lifts his head, eyes wide open and alert, to search for the intruder. A smile graces his lips as he sets eyes on Grace, and he beckons her over, pushing the covers away from him so that she can slip into the middle of the bed. Grace hugs herself to Danny's arm, and Steve closes his eyes again, only for them all to wake again half an hour later.

"Grace?" Danny says as he looks at her weary eyed. She just smiles and pulls away. It's not the first time he's awoken to find Grace between he and Steve.

**H**

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"Ugh, why the hell did I agree to this?" Danny moans as he trudges down the stairs. Jay is already up, sat at the kitchen table with a bowl of cereal when Danny, Grace and Steve all come down the stairs, one after the other.

Steve nudges Grace on the shoulder, and they share an eye roll. The lot of them – Chin and Kono included – have agreed to go on a hike this morning, though Danny wonders whether he's regretting it. There are only _two _good things about hiking for Danny; first, is time alone in the quiet with Grace; and second is time along in the quiet with Steve. And seeing as he'll get neither of those things today, Danny is no longer keen on the idea.

"Sleep alright?" Steve asks Jay as he purposefully ignores Danny's question.

Jay swallows a mouthful. "Yeah, thanks. Nice room you have, Gracie." Grace smiles and sits down next to her, reaching for the box of cereal.

**H**

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The hike actually isn't too bad. Steve knows the mountains well, and so he chooses and easy route with a steady incline, avoiding areas with rough terrain and giving fair warning of any tricky bits. In fact, he's unusually responsible; a word that Danny would truly never have associated with the man until recently.

"I'm tired and my legs hurt," Grace says. All eight of them look to her sympathetically, and Zoe offers her a swig of water which she takes.

Danny has held onto her hand for most of the walk up, and they're just about on their way down now but his bad knee is bothering him a little. "Grace, c'mere," Steve says, beckoning with one hand and pulling off the backpack. He's noticed the falter in Danny's steps, and Grace is only growing more tired. "You alright to take this?" he asks Danny. The detective nods and pulls the bag onto his back as Steve kneels down. He jabs a thumb behind him and looks at Grace. "C'mon, hop on. You can piggyback the rest of the way."

Grace beams and runs up behind, jumping a couple of inches in the air and flinging her arms around Steve's neck. Steve takes a hold of her ankles and allows her to tighten her grip around his neck and shoulders as he secures her legs around his waist. Only then does he stand up, slowing the pace slightly as they edge closer to the bottom of the hill.

**A/N: So, thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far, love you all. See you tomorrow for the final two chapters, and keep reviewing!**


	11. Chapter 11

"Howzit brother?" Kamekona waddles towards the nine of them on the beach, one big bag held in each of his hands. Steve had called him an hour earlier, asking for him to bring lunch and join them for the afternoon. _Sure brah, I can spare a couple of hours away from the business_, had been his response.

He dumps both bags in the middle of their circle, and reaches for a fist bump with Grace. Steve gives a wave and raises his voice, "Hawaii's most talented and resourceful businessman, Kamekona." The large man looks proud of the introduction, and he waves at everyone before plopping down next to Danny. Steve lunges forwards and chucks all of the shrimp-based meals to each person.

The rest of the afternoon is spent in the sea and playing volleyball on the beach, the fun and games interrupted every so often for semi-serious conversation between the adults. Steve has warned HPD that Five-0 are taking the long weekend, and so he receives only one call on his cell, quickly giving instructions to call Detective Linley – an old Navy buddy – and assuring the caller that he'll be able to deal with it. Never until the past few moments has Steve turned down the chance to work a case, and though if serious enough, he would gladly let it cut his weekend short, having Danny and Grace has made him more open to the possibility of taking time off. Other than a couple of calls to Detective Linley to make sure they're coping okay – which they are – he leaves work alone for the rest of the day.

By six o'clock, the light is dimming. Kamekona has left to tend to his business, and the rest of them have dinner reservations at Aloiki's in an hours time. Danny slips out to drop his parents off at the apartment so that they can shower and change, and the rest of them take turns to use the shower. Grace dresses in a light dress, Steve in jeans – a look that Danny likes on him – and a t-shirt with a shirt open over the top, and Danny wears jeans and a blue tee.

The McGarrett-Williams family and guests make their way to the restaurant and are seated in their reserved table quickly, and Danny's parents arrive just a few minutes later. The evening is spent with loud laughter, funny tales, and even a couple of emotional moments – notably after a story shared by Mary and Steve about their late father.

It's nearing the end of the night, with the group just beginning dessert, when a woman comes over to their table. Zoe, Richard, Mary, Grace and Jay all look up curiously as the slightly wrinkled woman approaches the table, laying a hand on a shoulder each of Danny and Steve as they turn around to see who's interrupting. Grace has met Governor Jameson briefly before, and Mary knows who it is. Kono and Chin just look on knowingly.

The men both stand, turning and shaking hands with the woman as Kono and Chin nod a polite hello. "Commander McGarrett, Detective Williams," she greets them.

For once, Steve gets the first word in. "Governor Jameson, good evening." She nods a gesture of similar meaning and looks around the rest of the table with a smile. Danny's parents and Jay all stare gormlessly; when Danny had told them that he was part of the governor of Hawaii's personal task force, they had taken the statement with a pinch of salt. It wasn't that they thought Danny had lied; just that he may have elevated their importance ever so slightly. When Steve had come to Jersey in pursuit of Danny and said mostly the same thing, they had conceded that maybe Five-0 really _had _been requested for setup by the governor. What they _hadn't _derived from the situation, was that the team and the governor knew each other quite so well; well enough that she had interrupted her _own _evening to say a hello to them, well enough that she sent a smile and a squeeze of the shoulder Grace's way.

The governor puts a hand back to Steve's shoulder. "Steve, I'll arrange for this to be taken care of." She gestures to the food on the table, indicating payment for the meal.

Danny and Steve both have their mouths open in protest, but the governor waves them away with an eye roll and a smile at Chin. "Really, I've been meaning to come and see you at HQ actually. I wanted to personally thank you yet again for all your work. I'm told the crime rate is down two and a half percentage points since the beginning of the year."

Steve gives a modest nod and the governor continues. "Well, I'll let you get back to your meal, thanks again."

Before they are given chance to protest further, the governor is whisked away by her PA and the two of them take their seats again. Seeking out her chance to move, Grace uses the flurry of activity to move to stand inbetween Danny and Steve. Danny looks to his partner, nods towards Grace, and Steve pushes his chair a little away from the table. A gesture like that from Danny usually means that his knee is bothering him after a busy day, and so Steve gives Grace the slight lift that she needs to sit on his lap, and the night continues in fond conversation.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: I confess to getting agitated writing this. I really wanted to start writing up another idea I had, but I wanted to finish this. So, the result is what I think is actually quite a sweet ending, but one which probably should have had a couple of chapters inserted before it. Anyway…**

_Two weeks later…_

The combination of the light emanating from the morning sun and the internal body clock of a SEAL once again wakes Steve slightly early. He wakes facing the door, and he glances to the clock; just after half past seven.

Steve smiles as he touches a hand to Danny's arm which is wound around his waist, hand tucked ever so slightly into the waistband of Steve's sleep pants.

With a hazy smile, Steve turns, gently waking Danny in the process and capturing his lips in a sweet kiss. Danny wakes quickly, and meets his kiss with movement of his own before the floorboards outside their door creak. They pull away from each other, and Danny drops his head back to the pillow as Steve props himself up and looks in the direction of the door.

When Grace's head inevitably pokes through it, Steve smiles and beckons for her to come forward. As she clambers over Steve to take her place inbetween them, he can feel the burning of her skin against his chest, and he knows that she's had a nightmare. It's not the first time that excessive heat has cause Grace to wake up scared and alone. And when she does, she immediately seeks out Steve and Danny.

Danny's eyes are still closed, though he wastes no time in wrapping an arm around his daughter, and so Steve looks down with what he hopes is a comforting smile. "You okay Grace?"

Danny's eyes flash open and he watches the exchange for Grace's answer. She just nods and shuffles back further into Danny's embrace. "Bad dream. I'm fine now." With that, Grace reaches out a small hand, wrapping it around Steve's much larger one and tugging it close to her chest. Steve understands, and he holds on whilst moving closer to the centre of the bed, pecking a kiss to the girl's forehead as he settles.

"Sleep for a while longer Grace. We're going to have fun today." And Steve knows it's true.

Because whilst Steve and Danny will never be able to offer the financial incentive that someone in Step-Stan's position is able to do, and whilst they'll never be able to offer the _normal _family that the majority of Grace's classmates will have, what they _do_ have is special. Yes it's unconventional; the long hours at work, the same-sex relationship, the very-vocal Danny and the mildly-insane Steve do _not _make for a normal couple. But what they have is brilliant. Grace may come from a 'broken home,' and she may occasionally tire of all the moving about, but it's worth it. Because in the last few months; Danny has gained a life partner, Steve has gained a family, and Grace…Grace has gained a father. And in that moment – and those kinds of moments aren't all that rare – Grace is sure that all of the moving about and arguing has been worth it. Steve has people who love him, her father is happier than she's ever seen him, and though _her _Danno is no longer _hers_, that's okay, because Grace is more than happy to share.

**A/N: And that's it. Thanks for sticking with this fic till the end. I'd love to hear from a load of you, let me know what you think. And for anyone who **_**has **_**enjoyed this, I'll be uploading the first chapter of a new McDanno fic tomorrow. See you there! x**

**P.S. There are plenty more McDanno fics to come. I have at least five more already complete, so if you've enjoyed what I've published so far, an author alert may be a good idea.  
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